Sunday, April 19, 2009

Cranberries may fight cavities

The Facts:

* Dental decay is caused largely by the bacterium Streptococcus mutans.

* In laboratory tests cranberry extracts stopped this bacterium from working normally.

* Cranberry extract may be useful in the fight against tooth decay although further tests in people are needed.

Shaun’s comment: The name cranberry probably derives from their being a favourite food of cranes (long-legged and long-necked birds).

These results were made public at a dental conference in Australia in June 2006. These are early lab-based tests and it will be interesting to see if the same results occur when more studies are carried out. Perhaps we will see more cranberry flavoured toothpaste making an appearance!

Study Reference:

http://www.webmd.com/news/20060628/cranberries-fight-cavities

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